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Questions
(Re-edited after requests, sorry if it did not make much sense earlier) This following is from a movie. The movie "American History X" (name corrected) is about a reformed white-supremacy neo-Nazi believer - Derek. His father, a fireman, is shot dead by a (black) drug dealer while he is involved in a fire-fighting at his den. This triggers everything in Derek and he starts working for a gang (skinheads). He kills brutually 2 black guys trying to steal his father's truck and is sentenced to prison, where his experiences change his mind.
People generally don't like to question things or give an explanation if asked. And things can go horribly wrong if this happens.
Derek - main character Danny - Derek's brother Dennis - Derek n Danny's father Doris - Derek n Danny's mother
Danny's voice : It's hard to look back...and see the truth about people you love. I think if you asked Derek why it all went the way it did... and where it all started...he'd still say it started when our father was murdered. The truth is, it started earlier.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek's brother is trying to understand why did Derek become what he did, why he did what he did... and remembers the following scene which happened at their dinner table some years back... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dennis : Are we all meeting for the game tonight?
Doris : Definitely.
Dennis : All right, Ben's Burger at 7:00...then we go watch the big guy play. (to Derek)Psyching up for the game?
Derek: I'm always ready for that. I got an English exam. I'm having a heart attack. I'm not ready.
Dennis: What's the matter? Afraid you'll get a "B"? Might do you good. B-minus.
Derek: Hey, don't laugh. This guy is different. Dr. Sweeney (black). This guy's unbelievable. Unbelievable. I've never had a teacher like this. He's got two Ph.D.s. I don't know what he's doing teaching at our school. He is not like other teachers.
Dennis: What's he got you reading?
Derek: We got this essay exam on this book "Native Son."
Dennis: "Native Son"? What's that? I don't know that.
Doris: That's a big surprise.
Dennis: What? I read.
Doris: Honey, they don't teach Tom Clancy in school. Well, they don't.
Dennis (to Derek) So what is this "Native Son"?
Derek: It's this book about this black guy. We're doing this whole black literature unit.
Dennis: What is it? Black History Month?
Derek: No, it's just this guy Sweeney, you know? It's part of the course now.
Dennis: Hmpf. Yeah.
Derek: What?
Dennis: Nothing. It's just...you know. It's everywhere I look now.
Derek: What?
Dennis: This affirmative blacktion.
Doris: Honey, a few new books doesn't qualify as affirmative black action.
Dennis (to Derek): Hey, read the book, ace the guy's test. Just don't swallow everything he feeds you whole. Just 'cause you see it on the evening news...
Derek: I know, but like what?
Dennis: All this stuff about making everything equal. It's not that simple. Now you got this book "Native Son." What happened to the other books in the course? They're not any good anymore because Mr. Two Ph.D. says so? Now you gotta trade in great books for black books? Does that make sense? You gotta question these things, Derek. You gotta look at the whole picture. We're talking about books here. I'm also talking about my job. I got two black guys on my squad now... who got their job over a couple of white guys... who actually scored higher on the test. Does that make sense? Everything's equal now, but I got two guys watching my back... responsible for my life who aren't as good as two other guys. They only got the job because they were black...not because they were the best.
Derek: That sucks.
Dennis: Yeah, is that what America's about? No, America's about best man for the job. You do your best, you get the job. This affirmative-action crap... I don't know what that's about. There's like some hidden agenda or something going on. You see what I'm saying?
Derek: Yeah, I do. I didn't think about it like that. This guy, though--I don't know. Dr. Sweeney, he comes on so strong... it's hard not to listen to him... but maybe some of what he says is kinda...
Dennis: It's bullshit.
Derek: Yeah. Yeah, maybe.
Dennis: No, no. It's nigger bullshit. You see that, don't you?
Derek: Yeah.
Dennis: You gotta watch out for that.
Derek: Yeah. No, I get what you're saying. I will.
Dennis: Good boy. I'm proud of you.
Derek: Don't worry about it. I got it.
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Neither did the new (black) teacher explain to his students why he changed the course nor did his student ask him. (The new teacher brought in some course changes but did not explain to his students why he changed the course. Neither did his students ask why did he change the course. The black teacher wanted to sensitise his students about the conditions and thoughts of black people which is a good thing. As he did not explain, it seemed to Dennis that Derek's teacher is teaching wrong stuff.)
His father had a strong point when he said "What happened to the other books in the course? They're not any good anymore because Mr. Two Ph.D. says so?"
(As was his experience, he had to take 2 black people in his team, who got the jobes because of affirmative action and he argues that now he has 2 incompetent people watching his back.) (Even to him, no one explained what affirmative action means and why it is required.) (Later on Derek blames his father's death on the black people and eventually on all non-whites, hispanics, asians etc.)
We generally discourage asking questions. Because questions need answers and people think that its a waste of time and energy. Well its a bigger trouble when the other person makes some assumptions when you do not want him/her to do so and when you had a chance to explain to him/her earlier.
What I wanted to write in this article is that not asking just one question can create so many problems. Teachers think they are not answerable to students, students if ask are rebuffed. This indirectly makes students accept whatever they want to think/assume. This continues later in life and the "not asking and assuming" behaviour creates conflicts everywhere.
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